They don’t get married right away. Sooyeon supposes it was because they were still studying when he had proposed (it was a Sunday afternoon, they were and he said it so casually Sooyeon hadn’t fully understood it until it was the next day—when she was in the middle of a report) but it was mostly her fault. Sooyeon’s career kept her busy, never staying home for long when she had her day off. She was a business woman, a good negotiator at that; people always needed her. Jinki didn’t really mind; he was as busy as her. He had sheets to compute and finances to document. He was content to have her and hold for ten, twenty minutes in bed, as long as she came home.

It is six years later, she is 27 and he is almost 27, when he asks for her hand in marriage again. This time he gives a ring, a silver band with a small turquoise stone in the center. They were in park. Nobody ever went there at five in the morning. He had just picked her up from a flight from China.

Jinki’s pushing her as she rides the swing peacefully. Her hair, black and long as she liked it, sweeps from behind him and it hits him right in the face but he doesn’t mind. She says something that made him smile and when he replied, he makes a vow of a life time. He is hers and all of him is hers. “So marry me.”

She says yes.

A year later, she is pregnant with their first child, a boy named Jun. Jun is followed by a baby sister three years later. With work, moving to a bigger house and raising kids, everything is hectic for Jinki and Sooyeon. She doesn’t work as much as she used to and sometimes she works at home. Jinki works full time but he comes home early and for that Sooyeon is grateful.

Still the engagement ring is solid on her ring finger and she still isn’t missus Lee. But that’s fine. They have no time for marriage with their life always on the go. They are content as they are.

In fact they are so content that their eldest Jun marries before them. 54 and aging, Jinki comforts his crying lover as they watch Jun say his vow. Jinki is reminded of his.

The third time he proposes, Sooyeon is wrinkled and is full of white hair but she has never been so beautiful to Jinki.

They don’t get married right away. An understatement. It takes them 40 years, 2 kids and 3 propositions. Another life time in love.